According to multiple media reports, Andrei Severilov, the former chairman of the board of the Russian Far East Maritime Transport Group (FESCO), has recently established a new container shipping enterprise named A7 African Cargo Lines LLC (referred to as A7 ACL).

This new company was registered and established in Russia on April 17, 2025, focusing on shipping business between West Africa and Russia. It is reported that the US company A7 Holding holds 99% of the shares of A7 ACL, while the remaining 1% of the shares are held by another US company, A7 Infrastructure LLC.

Andrei Severilov introduced: "We plan to conduct business in West Africa. In the first stage, A7 ACL, with the assistance of the Russian Trade Representative Office in Nigeria, plans to open a direct shipping route between Novorossisk, Russia and the Port of Lagos, Nigeria in mid-June." He also disclosed that A7 ACL has chartered two container ships for the opening of the new route.

In this regard, some industry analysts say that the opening of the new route by A7 ACL is related to Russia's search for new trading partners under the market environment of sanctions from Europe and the United States. Africa is gradually becoming Russia's new trading partner.

According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, in 2024, the trade volume between Russia and the African continent increased by 10%. The Russian Export Center also stated that the institution is actively developing cooperation with African countries, as this region is regarded as one of the most important areas for expanding economic and trade relations.

Influenced by geopolitics, some major shipping enterprises avoid Russian ports. However, this also brings opportunities to other companies. In 2024, some emerging shipping enterprises stepped up their efforts to expand into the Russian market.

Despite the multiple pressures currently faced by the container shipping industry, new entrants and existing shipping enterprises are still constantly launching new routes to Russia, indicating that there is still considerable demand in this market.